# Divers Examinations Of Reytse Aysess Before The Commissary, Pastors, Priests, Bishops, And Others.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: DIVERS EXAMINATIONS OF REYTSE AYSESS BEFORE THE COMMISSARY, PASTORS, PRIESTS, BISHOPS, AND OTHERS.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

On the sixth day they brought me before the
commissary, and in going thither there met me an
old man, who bade me “good evening.” I returned
the compliment, however was frightened
when I saw him. But he said to me: “You have
a bad commissary”; and he conversed much more
with me, and instructed me how I should answer
the commissary; and so I went in.

The commissary bade me “Good day,” and I
wished him the same. He then asked me: “What
is your business here?” I replied: “I have been
brought here against my will.” He further asked
what I believed. Ans. “I believe in God Almighty;
and that there is but one Lord, one faith, and one
baptism, by which we can be saved.” He said that
he also believed that, but that I was seduced. I said:
“Is God then a seducer?” Commissary. “No;
but you have been seduced by Menno and other
seducers.” I said that I did not rely on men, but
on the word of the Lord. He said that I should
suffer myself to be instructed by the holy Catholic
Church, since God himself had ordained apostles,
doctors [teachers] and pastors. I said that I believed
nothing but the word of God and the New
Testament. He then asked me, whether I was baptized.
I said: “Yes, upon my faith, as Christ has
commanded.” He then made a long speech, that
Christ had received flesh and blood from Mary, and
that I must believe this; and many other words we
had together. He then asked me, when I had been
to confession and the sacrament the last time. I replied:
“Never in my life;” and many other remarks
we had together. Thus he admonished me, that I
should suffer myself to be instructed by the holy
Church, and then he went away. This occurred on
Friday.

After I had been in confinement six weeks and
a half, they took me to the Poorte, where was the
pastor of Nyehoof (who was pastor of Enchuysen)
with an advocate. These asked me on what I had
determined. I said that I would adhere to the
word of the Lord. They then produced a letter, in
which was written all that I had confessed. Thereupon
they asked me, whether I considered the
church of the Mennists a true church. I said: “You
call it so, but I regard it as the true church
of God.” This they wrote down. Then they asked
me, whether I was baptized upon my faith. I said:
“Yes.” They also asked me whether I had not
been baptized in my infancy. I said: “Yes; but
that was no baptism as Christ commanded, for Christ
taught to repent, amend, and then to be baptized
for the remission of sins. See, so I was baptized.”
Then they said that infants were born in original
sin; hence they had to be cleansed by baptism.
I replied: “Christ has redeemed us from the fall
and transgression of Adam; hence he says himself,
that to the children belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
They said: “Yes, those were circumcised children.”
Then they asked whether I had been in the church
of the Mennists. I replied that I had been in the
church of God. This they wrote down. Ques. “What
do you hold concerning the Roman church?”
Ans. “Nothing.” Ques. “What do you hold
touching the sacrament?” Ans. “I have never in
all my life read of a sacrament, but of the Lord’s
Supper; and this I indeed want to observe, as
Christ has commanded it; but of yours I think
nothing.” Ques. “Do you believe that God is almighty?”
I said: “Yes.” “And whether God therefore
should not come into the bread which they
break?” Ans. “This I never believed.” They also
asked whether I did not believe that Christ had
received flesh and blood from Mary. I briefly said
that I did not believe it. These are principally the
articles which they asked me, and they noted down
every thing. I then asked the priest: “If I should
fulfill your will, would you be willing to be responsible
for my soul?” He said: “Yes, for you and
the whole world.” I said that this was as the apostle
says: While they promise them liberty, they
themselves are the servants of corruption (2 Peter
2:19). He said that this was not spoken to them.
And after some more conversation which we had,
they told me to go, and we bade one another adieu
for this time.

After I had been in prison seven weeks, I was
again taken to the Poorte, into a large hall, where
were three priests, one of whom was the one of Nyehoof,
with whom I have often been; the other was
a Friesian. These asked me what I had determined
on. I replied that by the help of God I would adhere
to the word of the Lord. He said that it was
not the word of God, and that I was seduced; he
was sorry, because we were both Friesans; “for,”
said he, “when one has temporal matters on hand
that he does not understand, he seeks advice from
those that are wise and knowing in such matters,
and suffers himself to be instructed; hence it is
necessary that one also suffer himself to be instructed
by wise men of the holy Church, in matters from
which depends eternal salvation.” Ans. “Whoever
rightly instructs me with the word of the Lord, him
I will gladly hear; but by your instruction I should
945
be seduced.” They said that I was already seduced;
but if I would suffer myself to be instructed by
the holy Church, they would pledge their souls for
me at the last day. I replied that they should have
enough to do with their own souls. But with them it
was a settled thing, that I was seduced. So we
finally came to infant baptism.

They said that infants were born in original sin.
I said: “Christ made us free, and called the children
to him, declaring that to such belongs the
kingdom of God.” Priest. “Flesh or blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; hence we must be
born of water and of the Spirit: therefore it follows
that infants must be baptized, if they are to be
regenerated and inherit the kingdom of God.”
Reytse. “Children are in the grace of God as long
as they are in their ignorance, and they are washed
through the blood of Christ; hence baptism in their
case is vain and to no purpose.” Priest. “How do
you understand regeneration?” Reytse. “A man
must truly repent and amend his life, with a contrite
heart confess his sins before God, that he is sincerely
sorry for them, and with confidence call to
God for forgiveness, and thus believe in God’s word
and submit to it in all obedience; upon such confession
he is to receive baptism for the remission
of sins; this certainly cannot be done by infants.”
Priest. “Nevertheless, infants must be baptized;
for the apostles baptized entire households, and
there doubtless, were also children.” Reytse. “The
house of Stephanus addicted themselves to the
ministry of the saints, which no children can do.”
(1 Cor. 16:15). They then asserted that first the
apostles, and after them the holy fathers, had instituted
it, fifteen hundred years ago. I said that the
Pope had instituted it, who wanted to improve on
Christ.

Then they were mad, and said that I was seduced,
and should plunge my soul and body into
perdition. I said they might take my life, but my
soul I should save unto life eternal. Priest. “What
do you think of the holy Roman Church?” Reytse.
“I do not believe in it.” Priest. “Do you not believe
that the priests can forgive sin?” Reytse.
“No; for it is God alone that can forgive sin.”
This they wrote down. Priest. “Do you not believe
that God’s flesh and blood are in the bread
which we break?” Reytse. “No.” Priest. “This
is clear enough; for Christ says: ‘Take, eat; this is
my body;’ this you cannot contradict.” Reytse.
“Christ gave his disciples bread to eat and wine to
drink, as the evangelists testify, and not his body,
for he still sat there bodily at the table with them.
And to his disciples who understood his words carnally,
as you do, and murmured at it, he said: ‘The
flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto
you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ John 6:63.
His flesh and blood he gave as a redemption for
many, and not that his flesh is to be eaten. He is
sitting at the right hand of God his almighty Father,
and shall not come thence, before he shall judge the
quick and the dead; hence he shall not come under
your teeth.” Priest. “Nevertheless Paul says: The
bread which we break, is it not the body of Christ?
and the cup which we bless, is it not the blood of
Christ? hence we must believe that God’s flesh and
blood are in the holy sacrament.” Reytse. “I have
not read of a sacrament, but of the Lord’s Supper;
this I indeed want to observe with the church of
God, but yours I do not desire.”

They said much more with regard to it, which is
too lengthy for me to relate. They esteemed the
sacrament so highly, that whenever they name it,
they raise their caps, and they looked sharply at
me, because I would not show it reverence too.
They also asked me whether I did not believe that
Christ had received flesh and blood from Mary.
I said that Christ came by his divine power out of
heaven, was conceived in Mary through the Holy
Ghost, and born of her, and took upon him the
form of a servant, and became like unto us in all
things, except sin, so that he was not born of the
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, and did not receive
flesh or blood from Mary, which came to pass
in such a manner, that Mary at first could not understand
it herself, for she asked the angel: How
shall this be, seeing I know not a man? The angel
answered her: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:34,35. Against this they did not say much.
Priest. “Do you not believe that the saints in
heaven are to be honored and worshiped?” Reytse.
“I indeed desire to honor the saints, for men are
honored; but not to worship them. But I want to
worship God alone, for it is written: ‘Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt
thou serve.’ ” Matt. 4:10. Priest. “What do you
believe of purgatory?” Reytse. “I have not read
that there is a purgatory; where is it written?”
Priest. “In the books of the Maccabees.”

He further admonished me, that I should suffer
myself to be instructed by the holy Church, which
had stood for fifteen hundred years, while our sect
had existed only fifty years, for Menno Symons had
first introduced it. Reytse. “There were from the
beginning of the world two classes of people, a people
of God and a people of the devil. But the children
of God have always been persecuted and dispersed,
so that they have always been in a minority,
and sometimes very few in number, so that they had
to hide themselves in caves and dens, and as they are
not of the world, the world does also not know
them; but the ungodly have always been powerful,
and have prevailed, and therefore you do not know
the children of God, neither did your fathers know
them, and you think that they have only now
arisen.”

They said that I was seduced; their church had
always existed from the beginning. I said: “When
we shall appear before the judgment-seat of Christ,
it will be found otherwise; then you will say: These
are they whom we had in derision: O how they are
now numbered among the children of God.” Wisdom
5:3,5. They also told me that I should not
concern myself with the Scriptures, but simply go
to church, and suffer myself to be instructed there,
and not be obstinate, since the Scripture says that
every word is established in the mouth of two or
946
three witnesses, and hence I was bound to believe
them. Reytse. “I believe the word of the Lord far
more than your testimony; I do not want to depart
from it, and hope by the help of God to live and
die for it, because Christ says: ‘Whosoever shall
confess me before men, him will I confess also before
my Father which is in heaven.’ ” Matthew
10:32.

We had many other words, which it would take
too long to relate. They approached me so with
sophistry, that if the Lord had not been on my side,
I would have had to succumb; so that I may well
say: The Lord is my helper, of whom shall I be
afraid? Ps. 56:11.

After I had been in prison nine weeks, I was
again conducted to the Poorte, where were two
priests and the bishop’s commissary; one was the
priest of Nyehoof, the other was from the country.
When I came to them, I uncovered my head, and
greeted them. They first asked me on what I had
determined, whether I would not amend. I said:
“Yes, as much as is in my ability.” They then
produced a letter, which contained the articles
which I had previously confessed; this they read to
me and asked whether I would adhere to it. I said:
“Yes.” They said, then I was damned, and
should plunge soul and body into eternal perdition.
Reytse. “How dare you condemn me so dreadfully,
whereas judgment belongs to the Lord?” Priest.
“You have offended against the Scriptures, and
apostatized from the holy Church, which has stood
for fifteen hundred years, while your sect has not
existed more than forty years; and you have suffered
yourself to be rebaptized, whereas you had
been baptized before.”

Then we had many words again concerning baptism;
his conclusion was, that children which die
without baptism are damned forever. Reytse. “And
are you not afraid, so dreadfully to condemn the
innocent children, when Christ has promised them
the kingdom of heaven, so long as they remain in
their innocence?” Priest. “No one can enter into
the kingdom of heaven, he must first be born of
water and of the Spirit; hence children must be baptized,
if they are to be saved; the apostles also baptized
many households, where certainly there were
also children.” Reytse. “So far as the households
are concerned, it is written that the house of Stephanas
addicted themselves to the ministry of the
saints, which is certainly not a work of children.
1 Cor. 16:15. And of the house of Cornelius it is
written: That when Cornelius, the centurion of Cesarea,
had called together his friends and kinsmen
into his house, he said among other things to Peter:
Thou hast well done that thou art come. Now
therefore are we all here present before God, to hear
all things that are commanded thee of God. And
while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost
fell on all them which heard the word. And they
of the circumcision which believed were astonished,
as many as came with Peter, because that on the
Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues,
and magnify God. Then answered Peter, can any
man forbid water, that these should not be baptized,
which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts 10:33,44–47. From this you can easily perceive,
if you are not entirely struck with blindness,
that this is not spoken of children. Again, Paul
preached the word of God to the jailer and to all
that were in his house, and after they were baptized
he rejoiced with all those that were in his house,
that he had come to believe in God (Acts 16:34),
which is above the understanding of children, for to
understand the preaching of the word of God, to
believe in it, and to rejoice on account of the faith,
this is far from children.” Then they said that there
were many other writings that testified with regard
to it; but I did not want to receive any writings except
the New Testament, which Christ sealed with
his precious blood. Then they asked me, whether
the children of the heathen and the Turks should
also be saved. I said: “Yes, as well as your baptized
children.” Then they were greatly astonished,
and spoke scornfully to me and damned me. One
of the priests sat by me, and asked me how I dared
speak such words; he knew that I was damned, as
well as he knew that I was sitting by him. I laughingly
said: “How could you know it better?” And
after many words which we had about infant baptism,
I finally said that I believed nothing but what
I had confessed. They again asked me, whether I
did not believe that our Lord is present in the form
of bread. I said: “This I do not believe; for he will
not come under your teeth.” I asked the priest
whether he believed it. Then he held out his finger
and said he believed more certainly that God was in
the bread, than he believed that that was his finger.
And after other words which we had together, they
got some clean paper and asked all the articles of
me anew: whether I acknowledged the church of
the Mennists as a true church, and how long it was
since I had been baptized. I said: About four years.
And so on, they asked all the articles of me again.
I answered them in the same manner as before, and
they noted down everything exactly, to deliver it to
the lords. Finally, when all the remarks had been
concluded, they produced a letter, which was the
sentence which the bishop had concluded over me,
in which they damned me as an unbelieving, disobedient
and obstinate heretic, and delivered me into
the hands of the secular judges. Since he had sufficiently
admonished me, and I would not let myself
be instructed, he, like Pilate, took water and
washed his hands, and also thought that he was
clear of my blood; hence I had to expect the sentence,
and many other words. Then they told me
to go.

After I had been in prison twelve weeks, they led
me into the castellan’s house, where were the bishop
with a councillor, the pastor of Oudenhoof, the pastor
of Nyehoof, the pastor of Jorwert, and the bishop’s
commissary. After they had taken their seats,
they called me, and when I came in I took off my
hat and sat as a sheep in the midst of a troop of
wolves. They looked at me sharply and earnestly;
but the Lord my God, in whom I trust, strengthened
me and gave me a bold heart, so that I was
fearless before them all. The bishop commenced,
and asked me whether I would still continue in the
947
faith. I was silent for a while, for it seemed unnecessary
to me to answer that question; but he had
so much to say, that I was finally compelled to defend
myself; for I had resolved not to dispute any
more. Thus I occasionally reproved and contradicted
their foolish ignorance, for I was grieved that
the truth should be so blasphemed; and that they
should not think that I would listen to them. The
sum and substance of what they said was, that I was
seduced, and that those who had taught me had
been seducers, as Menno, who was a vagabond. I
said that I did not rely upon Menno, or human
doctrine, but only upon the word of God; in this I
desire by the help of the Lord to live and to die.
We also had many other words, as, of infant baptism.
I said: “It is not contained in the Scriptures,
that the children are to be baptized; if this had been
the will of the Lord, he would doubtless have commanded
it: but since there is nothing written concerning
it, and neither our Lord Jesus Christ nor
his apostles have made mention of it, it is a great
presumption, that we poor, vain human creatures
want to improve it, whereas it is written, that we
are not to add to, or take away from the Lord’s
commandments: he that does this, upon him eternal
woe is pronounced.” (Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:6; Revelation
22:18).

Finally the bishop said that none of all the articles
so surprised him, than this: That I did not believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ is now personally man in
heaven, just as he was upon earth, with wounds and
stripes which he received from the Jews. This I
would not accept because I had not read of it, but I
said: “I believe that he is now in the Divinity, sitting
at the right hand of the almighty Father, in his
glory, and shall come again with power and majesty,
as the Scripture testifies with regard to it.” Then
the bishop took the Bible, and read the vision which
John had seen in the Island of Patmos, of one who
was like unto the Son of man; and when he had
read it, he closed the book, for it contradicted him.
A man can certainly not be of such a nature in his
members, as John declares of that vision.

They then rehearsed the articles of my faith anew,
and I confessed as I had always confessed before;
and after they had noted it down, they went away.
The councillor said that I had forfeited my life, according
to the decree. They then took me back
into prison.

I would have related all these matters at length,
but my gift is small, and my hand heavy for writing;
hence I must run over them very briefly.

After I had been imprisoned about thirteen weeks,
they conducted me once more into the castellan’s
house, where was the pastor of Nyehoof, who again
began to say that Christ is now personally in heaven,
as he was upon earth, in like form as we are. I defended
myself, and proved it to him from John’s
Revelation. He said that no one could understand
John’s Revelation, which surprised me. And in all
his remarks he called me brother. I said: “Why
do you call me brother? I do not want to be your
brother.” He answered that he hoped that we
should yet become one fold. And after some more
conversation he left me.





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